While cleaning my apartment and packing I came across an old journal. In it, I had written a letter to my current self from my 8 year old artist during a workshop with Julia Cameron at Kripalu. It was written in 2006.

Dear Heather,

Hello? It’s about time you paid some attention to me. How come you keep rushing to work when you hate your job? Your job is boring, could you do something fun for once?

How’d you get so complicated? You know life is really simple – you wake up, you eat, drink and pee a few times each day and in-between you learn and you have fun!

Work is a monster. If you liked your work it would be like your best friend. If you make mom a necklace she loves it. So your creativity has made one person happy. Think what would happen if you made lots of necklaces – you’d be making lots of people happy and instead of spreading yourself thin at work, you’d spread yourself far and wide.

Why’d you stop believing in yourself? I see worlds of possibility and potential and since I am you, you have to see it, too, so live eternally 8!

Though moving sucks, I’ve found it fascinating to find all the reminders of just how long I’ve wanted to be free and the reminder that I can do so much more for others when I make myself happy. And, what a sensible description of life by my inner-8-year-old!